Typically, when a caller calls into a call center, the caller will be directed through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and then be placed in a waiting queue until the caller is serviced by an agent. This works well when the call volume does not exceed the maximum capacity of the call center. However, call centers can experience peak call volume periods where the capacity of the call center is exceeded. When a caller calls in during these peak periods, the caller will be unable to connect to the call center and will only get a busy signal. This can result in lost calls and reduced customer satisfaction.
One option is to upgrade the call center so that the call center can handle these peak periods. Upgrading the call center with new hardware/software and additional agents can solve this problem. Upgrades to the call center to handle additional calls are typically very expensive due to the expense of upgrading the capability of IVR systems and other hardware/software for processing the higher volume of calls. Moreover, in many cases, it requires the call center to completely replace existing systems, which can be cost-prohibitive. In many cases, the excessive cost cannot be justified in situations where these peak periods occur infrequently. What is needed is a cost-effective solution that will handle these higher peak call periods while preserving the existing call center hardware/software.